Long Live the Teen Titans
by ss stardust
Summary: In the final clash of good versus evil, the Titans, including Honorary Titans, regroup to take on some of their most formidable foes as well as a slew of new villains in the finale of the "Teen Titans: Season Six" arc. Some will rise. Some will fall, but together they will make a stand.


PART ONE:

THE FIRST WAVE

A slight drizzle of rain covered Jump City as thunder and lightning clapped overhead. The streets were completely barren as night began to settle over. It had been several years since the Teen Titans disbanded, and although Robin planned on staying in the city to keep a watchful eye over it, it had been some time since he was last seen. Titans Tower stood as a lone testament to the fact that all good things were meant to come to an end.

[ _ **BOOM!**_ ]

An explosion suddenly erupted from the heart of the city. Police and fire crew were out in droves in a split second. As they struggled to get the flames from the first explosion under control, however, reports were coming in of a second explosion down at the piers. Crews made their way to that location only to be alerted to a third and fourth explosion, each on separate sides of town.

As resources were becoming stretched to their thinnest, more and more explosions were being set off. Although the locations of the blasts seemed arbitrary, it was becoming evident that whatever, or whoever, was triggering the explosions was doing it purposefully to spread out the rescue crews until circumstances would eventually lead them to call for outside help. Jump City was under attack.

"Get those hydrants open now!" The Fire Chief demanded as he worked with his men to contain the raging blaze. The slight drizzle of rain was doing little to help with the containment of the spreading fires.

"Chief! We're getting reports of more explosions from downtown and uptown as well as down by the bay!"

"Dammit!" He cursed himself. "Tell the bay to use the damn ocean water if they have to! Send 57 and 45 to downtown, and get 68 to the uptown alarms!" He shouted over the crackle of the thunder and lightning.

"The hydrants are drying out, Chief!" Another fireman called out.

"What do you mean drying out?"

"Some of these hydrants have been out of commission for months! There was no need to have the extra water flow when there were no populated residencies out this way!"

"Find a way to get some damn water out here then! We're gonna be in it for the long haul, boys! Let's step things up!"

Suddenly, one of the floors at the top of the building blew out. The fiery debris went tumbling straight for the nearby rescue crews so quickly that they had little time to react. At the last second a motorcycle appeared out of nowhere and smashed into the pile of falling debris, averting the path. The firemen looked confused and caught off guard when they realized they weren't crushed.

"Alright, men! Let's get these flames down and out! Come on!" The Fire Chief shouted over the roaring blaze. As they continued to work, caped figure stood watch from the shadows on a nearby building.

[ **scene break** ]

"Our plan seems to be working perfectly," Slade said. His voice echoed throughout what appeared to be a control room. There were numerous monitors with camera feeds coming in from different areas of a facility lined all throughout the room.

"Of course it is," an unseen man answered back. "Did you think otherwise?"

"There were moments of uncertainty, yes. When one contemplates blowing up a whole city then there are bound to be doubts... naturally."

"I suppose you could say that, but you should know better, my friend. How could something we created be anything _but_ certain?"

"Perhaps you are right." He thought for a moment. "I think I'll take this moment for patrol. If _he_ is to show up then it would have been by now, if not then very soon. Should I engage him if I find him?"

"If you can be certain that it his him when you find him then perhaps it's better that you trail him instead. We don't need any mishaps this far along the road."

"'Mishaps'? I'm surprised you would even question my abilities." Slade sounded sarcastically surprised and offended at the same time.

"You should not mistake caution for doubt, Slade." The man said.

"Well then be certain in my convictions, and be certain that I will not hesitate from taking out _anyone_ who questions me. Do we have an understanding?" He huffed as he then walked out of the room.

"Cheshire?" The man called out to the emptiness of the room. A painted mask with an extended smile and glowing yellow eyes appeared from the shadows. "I expect nothing less from such a stubborn man. Keep an eye on him, understand? Do not engage him and do not let him know that you are there. I expect a full report." The smiling mask replied without moving as it then faded back into the shadows. "All of this time, all of this experimenting," the man said to himself as the monitors turned to show another part of the facilities. "We've finally have the most perfect specimen." He continued as the cameras zoomed in on a cylindrical vessel filled with a green liquid. "Soon we will rid the world of the Titans, and then... then we shall move on to the rest of them." He said through his gritted teeth. A silhouette of a figure could then be seen floating within the vessel.

[ **scene break** ]

As the rain subsided, fire crews all across the city scrambled to put out the fires that had suddenly sprung up. Though their efforts were commendable, little seemed to be getting done as the flames continued to burn away whatever they came into contact with, making it that much harder for everyone involved.

" _These explosions can't be isolated incidents_ ," Robin thought to himself. He continued to wonder through the backstreets of the city, careful to not be seen. "Not a single obstruction in years, so why now?" He continued. "Whatever's going on has to be tied to something big. This much power has to be coming from someone who can deal this much damage."

As he tried to piece things together, Slade appeared from the shadows. He watched Robin as he went on with his thoughts. He lurked about in the shadows waiting for the perfect time to make his move.

"Could all of this be Slade's doing?" Robin thought out loud. "Is he even still alive would be the real question". Just then he felt another presence close by and lunged out of the way just as Slade's foot smashed into the ground, but without missing a beat Slade threw a small knife that caught Robin on the arm. "Ugh!" Robin called out as the knife made him spin on his heels and fall to the ground.

"Well, well," Slade said as he approached him, "look who has returned to the big, bad city." He continued as he advanced on the fallen Robin. "Welcome back, Robin."

"Slade!" Robin hissed through gritted teeth. "What are you planning? I know these explosions have something to do with you!"

"Not even a 'hello'? My, my Robin. I must say I am disappointed in your manners. I expected much better."

"Says the man standing over me ready to kill me, and I haven't even been back long enough to give him a good fight."

"Kill? My dear boy, who said anything about killing you?"

"If it's not that then what do you want this time?" He said as he quietly readied one of his Birdarangs.

"Perhaps I have different plans in mind for your timely demise."

"I'm not surprised. You always did like to put on a show."

"You remember, I'm touched. I was beginning to think you went off and forgotten all about me."

"You never forget a man who's tried taking your life time and time again." He forced out as he kept inching back from an advancing Slade.

"Well if that's all you seem to recall then let's not delay the tradition any longer, shall we?" The smirk in his words could be heard as he produced his fighting staff and quickly swung towards Robin, but Robin was quicker with his Birdarang that propelled him upwards giving him the opportunity to land a knee straight against Slade's jaw. The sudden impact caused Slade to stammer back a few feet.

"Let's not," Robin huffed as he readied himself for a fight. He produced his own staff and gripped it tightly.

Slade straightened his jaw out before regaining his balance. He and Robin charged one another, their staffs ready to make contact. Everything then seemed to happen in slow motion: Slade attacked with his staff and Robin was ready to counter in a way that would deflect Slade's weapon, but before they could even connect with each other, a smoke grenade went off causing them to back off swiftly. Cheshire's anime-like smile then drifted back into the shadows as Slade tried to see through the dense smoke screen. By the time the smoked cleared, however, Robin was able to make his escape.

"We'll be seeing each other very soon, Robin." He said aloud.

[ **scene break** ]

Robin made his way behind a building a few blocks away. He peered around the corner to see if he was being pursued, and although he saw nothing he knew he had to stay alert. His attention then turned back to his wound that now seemed infected with some kind of poison. Knowing Slade it was probably something that would take it's time and cause an immense amount of pain in the process.

"Great," he sighed as he clenched onto the cut, "the one time I forget my first aid kit turns out to be the time I really need it." He quipped out loud. He looked back at it then covered it up once more.

He proceeded to cut a piece of his sleeve off and wrap it around the wound. He peered back around the corner and headed up the street. He came to a stop when he saw what he was looking for: not too far off in the distance stood a beacon of familiarity in the shape of the gigantic 'T'. He then took his communicator out and glared at it.

"Seems like it's been a long time," he said to himself. "Didn't think I was gonna have to do this for a little while longer," he continued before grasping the communicator fully in his hand. He closed his eyes and relived the memories that were attached to it. "I guess it's been long enough." He scoffed. He then reopened his eyes and flipped the cover open as he pressed the red 'Mayday' button.

[ **scene break** ]

Slade made his way back to the room where the unknown man waited for him. He was still heated from his run-in with Robin and even more upset at the fact that he was unable to fight him. He clenched his fists as hard as he could.

"You seem to have been in some kind of altercation, Slade." The man noted as Slade walked into the control room. "Tell me, did you come across the boy? Or were there other pressing matters at hand?"

"It would do you well to not get entangled in the reservations of others." Slade snapped. "Things could have gone better were you to keep your doubts to yourself." He finished as he tossed Cheshire's mask, which now had a blood splatter across the mouth, to the man's feet.

"Does violence solve every one of your dilemmas?" The man asked Slade.

"Yes."

"You shouldn't have disposed of Cheshire. She was going to be of great use to this operation as we will need as much skill and power as we can possibly get our hands on."

"The boy will be strong enough to handle the Titans, and besides we have others. You will be only singing my praises in due time."

"I find such a claim very hard to believe."

"We have finally drawn Robin from the shadows and the other Titans will soon be joining him on his crusade to find me, and then, as they use their old tricks to locate me, we shall make our move and take them out in one fell sweep."

"Your ethics and visions are admirable, but we must be aware that there can, and most likely may very well be mistakes made, which is something we cannot afford."

"I do not make mistakes."

"Your past begs to differ."

"And that is why it's in the past." He snapped. "Now, if you will excuse me I must go and configure Prime's final preparations. You can never be too careful, can you?"

"Of course not. And what of the girl? What is her status?"

"She is nearly operational. I suspect we shall be able to push her out only moments after the boy is ready to go. His mechanics were suitable in the progress of her reconstruction."

"Very good." The man smiled, pleased that all that he has worked for was finally coming to fruition.

Just then a small radio crackled on as a voice spoke from the other end. "Sir, the package you have ordered has arrived."

"Very good. Please send her up." The man radioed back.

"Yes, sir."

"It seems that all the chips are beginning to fall in their places," the man smirked as a door at the far end of the room opened. The silhouette of a girl appeared as the man stood from his chair and walked to her. "You will be a great driving force behind this team," he conceded, "but first we must get these cuffs off of your hands." He said as he snapped his fingers. A group of men then surrounded the girl as they worked on removing the cuffs that bound the girls' hands together. "Continue with your preparations, Slade. The hour of reckoning is upon us."

"Of course," Slade agreed as he walked out of the room.

"Foolish man," Slade whispered to himself. Just then a figure wearing a mask that was in resemblance to Cheshire's blood-stained one stepped from the shadows. "Cheshire. It seems as though everything is right on schedule. Stay out of sight until I am ready for you, understand?" Cheshire did nothing more but slink back into the shadows. "The hour of reckoning truly is upon us." Slade said aloud as he continued on.

[ **scene break** ]

The tower had definitely seen better days. It resembled something of a rundown warehouse as there had been no one there to take care of it as the years went on. Robin lost touch with the others as he figured keeping his hero identity a secret would be easier that way. It had been several years since the Titans went their separate ways, and it had been several years since Robin heard anything from Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy or even Starfire.

He made his way to the living-slash-main operations room and saw that many of the things they left behind were exactly the way he remembered them from all those years back. As he continued on, careful not to disturb anything too much, robot-like censors in the form of miniature bugs began to appear behind him. Just as he was about to turn around to go explore the rest of the tower, the censors pounced, tackling him to the ground.

"Hey! What the-" he struggled under the pressure of the censors. "Get off me!" He continued his struggle.

After a while, he was able to reach for his staff and start fighting off the robotic creatures. He continued to hit away at them as more of them continued to advance on him. He became so preoccupied that he failed to notice someone approaching him from behind.

"Still the same old Robin, I see." The voice from behind him noted with a chuckle. Robin stopped his assault, as did the censors, and turned to the figure. "Smash now, talk later, huh?" Cyborg continued as he stepped into the room, making himself a little more visible.

"Cyborg!" Robin sounded elated as he walked up to Cyborg to greet him. "It's been too long! I see you still kept the tower guarded," he laughed as he picked up one of the destroyed censors.

"I know what you mean, man. I didn't even know if you were still in the city or not." He said as he, too, picked up a censor. "That's why I used these guys, just in case."

"I stayed here for a while, but after some time I just decided to go. I kept my tabs, though, just in case."

"Well it's good to see you're doing good, man."

"You, too. I see the years have been good to you and your mechanics." Robin noted as he examined Cyborg's mechanical parts.

"Yes, sir! I've been updating every chance I get, and so far things are as great as can be for now."

"Have you been in Steel City this whole time?"

"Mostly. I've also been with the Titans East in Paris, just to keep an eye on the Brotherhood."

"Any news on that?"

"They're not going anywhere anytime soon." He said as the two then stood there in silence for a few moments. "It's good to see you and all, but what's with the sudden reunion? I mean no heads up or anything."

"Well I thought I would be able to handle the situation without involving anyone else, but then I had a run-in with Slade here in the city."

"Aw, man. Not that dude again." Cyborg groaned. "Does he have anything to do with everything that's going on now? With all the fire and smoke down there? I mean should we be out there helping or something?"

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm ready to figure that out, and I suggest we wait until we're able to hear from the others. We'll be stronger in numbers."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Seems like a waste to just be here in the tower while everything else is going on."

"I know what you mean, but we can't go out there with our eyes closed. We need to be ready for anything that Slade is gonna throw at us."

"I understand. Feels good to be getting back into the swing of things." He noted.

"It does bring back some good memories." He agreed. "So I suppose there's some way to get the rest of the electricity up and running?"

"Now you're speaking my language." Cyborg smirked.

[ **scene break** ]

The lights flickered on throughout the tower as Robin and Cyborg made their way back up from the basement. They walked into the living room to find a scene of pure chaos; Cyborg's robotic censors were attacking two figures who were having a hard time trying to defend themselves.

"Azarath, metrion, zinthos!" Raven shouted as she continued firing dark energy at the robots.

"Dude! We were called for help and now we're the ones getting attacked!" Beast Boy shouted as he continued to struggle.

"You have to do something about those 'bots," Robin chuckled as he turned to Cyborg.

"Yeah, I figured I'd leave them operational, you know, just to get a few more laughs out of them." He said as he opened his arm and disengaged the robots.

"Thanks for letting us in on the joke," Raven snapped.

"Yeah, dude! I mean first we get some kind of emergency Mayday after being on hiatus for a million years, and then when we get back we get greeted by some kind of robot, bug swarm." Beast Boy sounded upset. "I wonder if that tofu sandwich that I left here is still any good." He thought aloud as he headed for the fridge.

Raven shook her head in disapproval. "It certainly has been some time, hasn't it?" She continued as she walked to Cyborg and Robin.

"Longer than it probably should have been." Robin confessed in monotone.

"Don't beat yourself up over it. We all got involved in our own things," she paused, "but now that I'm actually back it does feel pretty... good." She smiled slightly.

"Everything is starting to feel right again," Cyborg added.

"You're telling me," Beast Boy chimed in as he poked his head out from the refrigerator, his mouth full of years old tofu which caused Cyborg and Raven to wince out of disgust.

"Almost everything," Robin added solemnly as he looked out the expanding window and to the burning view of Jump City.

"I'm sure Star's on her way now," Cyborg noted as he made his way over to Robin. "It takes a while to get here from space."

"Yeah, don't rule her out just yet." Beast Boy assured him.

"Have any of you kept in contact with her?" Robin asked as they all looked at each other with sorry expressions. "Yeah, neither did I."

[ **scene break** ]

"It seems as though one Titan is still missing," the unnamed man noted as he continued to watch the monitors. "Send in Slade." He spoke into a radio.

"Is there a problem?" Slade asked as he stood in one of the nearby doorways.

"I believe it's in our best interest to send in the First Wave at this time."

"Should we not wait for the fifth Titan?"

"I do not doubt four or five Titans will matter much to them. I have faith that they will be able to secure their objective. Besides they will not be alone for this mission."

"And when do you suppose our 'team' will be suitable for the next phase of the plan?"

"We are tracking down suitable members as we speak, my dear Slade. I wish to enter this fight with an immense and overwhelming amount of power. I want the Titans to tremble at the sight of our _army_." He said as his fists slammed against the arm rests of his chair. "Stand by with the First Wave, Slade. We will engage them shortly."

[ **scene break** ]

"You'll be fine," Raven assured Robin as she placed her healing hands on his wound. "This shouldn't take long."

"Leave it to Slade to think of everything," Beast Boy said as he watched Raven heal Robin intently.

"What could be taking Starfire so long?" Robin wondered. "It's not like she can't fly faster than light."

"Maybe she was busy?" Beast Boy suggested.

"Maybe," Robin agreed halfheartedly.

After a brief moment of silence, Raven spoke up. "Shouldn't we be planning on doing something about the fires in the city? Or maybe something about Slade? Shouldn't we be trying to find him at least?"

"You're right," Robin said, regaining his focus. "All I know is that he had something to do with the attacks on the city. I'm not sure how much involvement he has considering how big the attacks are, but the fact is that I know he has something to do with them."

"Did they get those things under control, by the way?" Beast Boy asked.

Before anyone could answer, an explosion came from the front of the room, knocking them off their feet. The windows were instantly blown out as a gust of wind flooded the room, throwing everyone off guard. Smoke from the explosion rushed into the tower with the wind, making it difficult to see anything. The impact of the blast sent shards of glass flying everywhere.

"What the-" Beast Boy started, but was soon silenced as a metal grip suddenly enclosed around his throat.

He strained to understand what was going on as the grip continued to tighten around his windpipe, blocking off any air circulation. His eyes looked around the room as a blur started to cloud his vision. He could see Robin leaping into action with his staff as Cyborg began blasting away at a swarm of androids that were flooding into the tower. He then saw some of the droids going for an unmoving Raven.

A sudden rage came over him as he then transformed into a gorilla, causing the grip to loosen and giving him the chance to knock the android away. He roared as he rushed to Raven's side, swiping away approaching androids. He morphed back to his human self and knelt down beside her.

"Raven? Raven, wake up! Come on, Raven! Wake up!" He begged her as he patted her cheeks. "Raven!" His final call finally getting through to her and causing her to slowly open her eyes.

"W-what happened?" She asked softly.

"I don't know what's going on, but we need your help!" He panicked as Robin and Cyborg kept the androids at bay.

She sat up and was then able to see what was going on: the androids kept coming in despite their best efforts. Raven got to her feet and quickly found her balance as she then regained control over her senses. Although her ears were still ringing from the blast, she was able to regain her composure.

"I'm fine," she promised Beast Boy.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded as she held her head. "Thanks," she smiled.

"I hate to break up the moment that's going on between you guys," Cyborg shouted over the noise, "but we could really use some help!"

Raven and Beast Boy then joined the others in battle. Android after android continued coming in through the shattered window. Though there were many of them, the four Titans seemed to be having no trouble holding them off.

"Where are these things coming from?" Cyborg shouted over the sound of his sonic cannon blasting through metal.

"It must have something to do with Slade!" Robin concluded. "It has his name all over it! First he attacks me, and now he must know that we've regrouped!" He continued as he smashed through numerous androids, his Birdarangs went flying through the air as he was no longer even aiming at specific targets.

"Hey! Watch it with those!" Beast Boy shouted as one of Robin's exploding Birdarangs whizzed overhead, just missing him by inches.

"How could he possibly know that? We've only regrouped just now!" Raven asked. "Azarath, metrion, ZINTHOS!"

"I have no idea!" Robin grunted back as he continued fighting. "But it's the only thing that makes sense!"

The onslaught of androids continued for about twenty more minutes after the initial attack at which point the surge of robots seemed to stop. The room was a total mess with robot parts scattered everywhere. The four Titans were out of breath as they huffed and puffed from breathing so hard.

"Dude," Beast Boy huffed as he tried to catch his breath, "whatever Slade's planning, let's hope that was it."

"The dude must've picked up some new tricks," Cyborg noted as he rummaged through the broken down robot pieces, "and some new toys." He continued as he picked up the decapitated head of one of the robots and began examining it.

"It doesn't matter what he decides to throw at us, we have to be ready for whatever his next move is gonna be." Robin ordered.

"Well at least we're out of the woods for now," Beast Boy continued to breath heavily as he sprawled himself out on the floor.

A floating green orb then popped out from thin air directly outside from where the window had been shattered. As it drifted into the tower the others watched it with extreme caution. Robin gritted his teeth together as his grip tightened around his staff.

"Is this another one of Slade's new toys?" Beast Boy asked out loud.

"I don't know, but whatever it is we should be able to take it." Cyborg smirked as he aimed his sonic cannon at the glowing orb.

"I wouldn't be so sure," a woman's voice echoed through the tower, but there was no one else there.

The floating, green orb then shot a blast of green energy towards the Titans, but they were quick enough to get out of the way. The strange voice began cackling as the light radiating from the orb continued to intensify. It got to the point where the Titans had to avert their eyes for protection. The glowing subsided and once the Titans looked back they saw five figures standing before them.

"Well hello there, Teen Titans," one of the figures, a woman, sneered. The words dripping with disdain.

[ **scene break** ]

"Things are about to get interesting." The unknown man smiled as he, Slade, and the unknown girl watched the Titans face their five opponents from an unknown source.

[ **scene break** ]

The woman stood proudly in front of the four Titans, her green hair flowing around her face. She was accompanied by a man brandishing a large axe, another man whose body was, down the middle, half man and half robot. They were accompanied by a figure in a space-like suit with a tinted helmet covering his face and a towering creature that revealed its brain through a see-through helmet of its own. Hovering next to the woman was the green, energy-shooting orb that now transformed itself to resemble an eyeball with a green iris.

"Who are you?" Robin asked.

"You'll all be dead before it even matters," the woman laughed. "Go!" She ordered as her accomplices rushed the Titans.

"Again?" Beast Boy groaned.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted just as the eyeball fired off more green beams.

The man with the axe charged for Raven, his weapon swinging every which way. Just as he got close enough she opened a portal at which caused him to lose his footing and trip inwards. She closed the portal once he was through, but as she was going to go help the others the man's axe appeared out of thin air, nearly slicing her in two. It caused a dimensional rift, like the one Raven created herself, and the man stepped back into the tower. He had a smug look on his face as Raven looked on in confusion.

"Well that didn't go as planned." She noted as the man began laughing.

"I am the Persuader," he pointed out. "There's no place you can teleport me to where I can't find my way back, witch!" He snorted as he swung his axe at her.

She created a force field, but the axe was able to easily cut through it. "Then I guess I'll just have to find another way to get rid of you!" She shouted back as they continued to engage one another.

As they fought, Robin had become busy with the figure in the space suit. He delivered blow after blow, but the figure seemed almost unfazed by any of it as he continued his advance on him. Robin could only make out the silhouette of a head within the helmet, but he could not see any facial features. The figure then removed one of its gloves and revealed a black hand made up of energy that emitted a purple aura.

"Fine, you wanna play hard ball then here you go!" He tossed a few exploding Birdarangs at the figure, but in the blink of an eye the figure caught the Birdarangs mid-flight as they then disintegrated in his hand. "Well, that didn't go as planned." He noted as he then charged the figure with his staff, but just as the staff was going to make contact the figure caught it and Robin was left to watch as it, too, began to disintegrate. "This could be a problem." He swallowed hard.

"It would seem as we are equal in ability," the half-man, half-robot said to Cyborg with a smirk sprawled across his face.

"I don't know about being _equal_ , but I guess we'll just have to find out!" Cyborg snapped as he readied his sonic cannon.

"I suppose we shall," the man laughed as his robotic arm turned into a weapon similar to Cyborg's. They both then let loose a beam of energy towards each other. The collision proved to be powerful enough to shatter anything that was left standing from the invasion of the androids.

"Not too shabby," Cyborg noted, "but you're gonna have to do a lot better than that!" Rocket launchers then sprouted from his other arm as he began firing numerous short-range missiles.

"I suppose it's time to show you who the better cyborg really is!" The man laughed some more as he fired his own missiles. Not only did he succeed in deflecting Cyborg's missiles, but he was able to get some to land a hit against Cyborg that sent him flying into the wall at the other side of the room.

"Well that could have gone better," he gasped as he fell to the floor.

"Dude!" Beast Boy shouted as the creature that revealed its brain through its helmet chased him. "Why do I always get the worst ones?" He shouted as he ducked behind one of the still-standing counters. As the creature advanced on him, he rose up as a green bear and swiped at it leaving claw marks.

The creature stepped back to assess the damage as it then looked back at Beast Boy. Although it had no eyes, it was still clear that it wasn't too happy at this point. It charged Beast Boy just as he turned into gorilla to fight, but the creature was quicker and stronger than it appeared as it grabbed Beast Boy's wrist and tossed him to the wall. Just as Cyborg was getting to his feet he was sent crashing against the wall once more under the weight of a gorilla.

"Ow," Beast Boy said, dazed and confused as he staggered to his feet.

"Robin!" Raven called to him. "We have to think of something, fast! We can't keep on with defense! We're getting crushed!" She continued to block the sharp axe from making contact.

Robin thought hard as he continued dodging the deadly touch of his opponent. "Switch!" He called to Raven.

"What?" She sounded panicked.

"Switch with me! I can probably handle your guy and you should have no trouble with this one!"

"Okay! Go!" She shouted as she sent a blast of dark energy hurdling for the figure in the space suit, as Robin shot a Birdarang at the Persuader.

The dark energy blast caught the figure off guard as it sent it flying to the floor. The same happened when Robin's exploding Birdarang sent the Persuader flying off and smashing into the table. He got to his feet only to be met with a kick to the face that sent him to the ground once more. Raven encased the figure in her energy and tossed it against the wall.

"Let's see what we'll find under that helmet of yours," she said as she began breaking it open using her powers, but before she could do any damage an unexpected green blast sent her flying off.

"We wouldn't want that to happen," the woman with the green hair laughed. However she wasn't laughing for long as one of Cyborg's beams struck her in the back. "Ugh!" She struggled to her knees.

Her eyes were filled with rage as she turned to see Cyborg now fighting against the half-man, half-robot. She took off, flying straight in his direction, and just as she was about to make contact a green bull hit her in the side and sent her spiraling towards the wall.

"Nothing to it!" Beast Boy laughed. He suddenly felt a tight grip on his shoulders, and the next thing he knew he was being sent flying into the opposite wall. Dazed and confused, he looked up to see the eyeless creature charging him.

"Beast Boy!" Robin dashed towards him after delivering the final blow to Persuader that rendered him unconscious. He intercepted the creature at the last moment with a blow from his staff. "You all right?" He asked as he helped Beast Boy to his feet.

"No!" Beast Boy complained. "Who _are_ these guys?" But before Robin could answer, the creature rammed into Beast Boy and tackled him to the ground.

"Beast Boy!" Robin was just about to lend him a hand, but a force began tightening around his neck. His feet began lifting into the air as he was turned to face the woman.

"I don't think he needs your help," she cooed as she brought him closer to her. It seemed as though the eye with the green iris was her power source as she used it for her attacks, including holding Robin by the throat. "You know," she continued, "you look pretty cute for the enemy." She chuckled. "It's a shame I have to kill you and your friends. I suppose it won't matter now if someone were to remove that silly mask." She said as her fingers caressed his face and danced along the outlining of his mask.

"Don't," he coughed up. "Who..." he tried, but his breath was quickly escaping his body.

"Robin!" Raven called to him as she rushed towards him, but the woman was quick and she stopped Raven in her tracks with another beam from the eye.

"I was told not to say anything, but seeing as you're as good as dead I might as well let you in on a little secret," she smiled as she brought him closer to her. She leaned into his ear, "Once we're done with you all, we'll be coming after all your little friends next," she whispered as she then kissed his cheek. "It's been a pleasure, Robin," she said as she pulled away from him, "but it seems that your time has come and gone!" She laughed.

As Robin's vision blurred, he could make out a green dot in the sky behind the woman. He couldn't make out what it was, but it seemed to grow bigger and brighter each second.

"The world shall witness the death of Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans!" She laughed, but just as she was going to make her move, a green bolt of energy struck her in the back of the head. "Ow!" She gasped. Once she lost her concentration, the eye let go of Robin and Raven, at which point she rushed to his aid. "No!" The woman sneered as she then turned around. "Who did that?"

"I did." Starfire's voice answered. "You shall not hurt my friends any longer!" She huffed as her eyes and her hands began charging with green energy.

[ **scene break** ]

"Well, well," Slade started, "I believe _now_ things will get interesting."

The unknown girl became visibly upset at the sight of Starfire. She was almost ready to go out to the tower and finish the Titans off herself.

"Now, now, my dear," the unnamed man calmed her, "you shall have your chance when the most opportune time is upon us." He assured her.

[ **scene break** ]

"Ah, the final Titan," the woman smiled. "How nice of you to join us!" She feigned as the eye shot another beam at Starfire, however she was quick and dodged the attack. "Get her!" The woman barked.

Starfire flew throughout the room quickly, striking down the eyeless creature that continued to engage Beast Boy and even giving Cyborg an opportunity to strike his opponent when the half-man, half-robot averted his attention for a split second. The eye was then able to strike Starfire in the back with one of its beams, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Starfire!" Robin rushed to her. "Are you OK?"

"I am better now," she smiled back at him. "Forgive my lateness. I tried to get here as quickly as my powers would permit." She explained.

"You're here now, and that's all that matters." Raven assured her.

"Well isn't this sweet," the woman said sarcastically. "All the Titans here, ready to meet their doom!"

"Sorry to break it to you," Robin noted, "but you're outnumbered. You sure you wanna take those odds?" He smirked as the other Titans backed him up.

The woman looked around at her fallen teammates. "No!" She screamed. "You Titans have not seen the last of us! Be warned, Teen Titans! Your days are numbered!" She laughed as the eye then radiated a bright light once more, and once the Titans looked back the woman and the others had vanished.

"Dude." Beast Boy sighed.

[ **scene break** ]

"It would seem as though your plan was not as much of a success as you might have hoped." Slade noted, smugly.

"On the contrary, my friend." The man corrected. "Do you really perceive me as the man to think that _they_ would be able to overcome the Teen Titans?" He continued. "If the Titans could overcome someone like you, and our friend here," motioning to the unknown girl, "then do you think I would expect _them_ to harness enough power to finish the job? Were it that easy then we would have no use for the boy or any of this, Slade."

"Then what was their mission? Why mobilize them if not for the sole purpose of eliminating the Titans?" An upset Slade asked.

"To deliver a message."

"And what message would that be?"

"That their days truly are numbered." The man said. "You see, Slade, now the young Titans will mobilize the other Titans. They will warn them to stay close and stay alert. When the time comes, we shall set off a minor disturbance in Jump City that draws every single Titan to the forefront, and when they believe they have overcome the threat, when they feel safe once more, we will strike with full force. The Titans will not know what hit them. They will have no time to prepare, they will have no plan, they will be vulnerable. Judgment day is upon them." He laughed. "Once we have all their heads we shall move on to the next phase: the world!" He continued to laugh maniacally. "Long live the Teen Titans!"

[ **scene break** ]

"We have to alert the others to the threat," Robin said as they all picked through the rubble.

"Do you think it is the best thing to do?" Starfire questioned. "Do you not recall what caused our near-demise at the hands of the Brotherhood of Evil?"

"She has a point," Beast Boy agreed. "We don't know if Slade is taking a page from them. I mean it almost worked, he's probably just tweaking it."

"I don't know," Cyborg objected. "I would think Slade would know better than to take from others. I think he's got something totally different planned."

"I agree with Robin and Cyborg," Raven added. "Even if it is something like what the Brotherhood did we still need to alert the other Titans. That was a completely new group of villains with incredible powers. If Slade is behind this and he's recruiting these villains then we should have everyone on alert, and if our days, all of ours days are numbered I have a feeling that we're gonna be needing all the help we can get."

"Perhaps you are right." Starfire agreed. "Should we not invite our friends to our home? Perhaps there would be safety in numbers, yes? We would not want them to be alone should Slade strike."

Robin laughed nervously, "I don't think we would have enough room, Star, but I think we should alert them as soon as possible. If something does come up where we need to call a Titan meeting then this will be the headquarters. Cyborg, I'm gonna need you to make necessary adjustments for that."

"Got it,"

"Whatever Slade is planning to throw at us, we'll let him know that the Teen Titans will be ready for it."

[ **scene break** ]

Slade made his way down to an isolated room. A sign on the door that he came to made it clear that access was restricted and only associates with "Red Level Access" would be allowed in. Slade swiped his card as the door then pressed open.

"Mr. Wilson," a male's voice came from behind.

"What is it that you want? Can you not see that I am busy?" He snapped.

"Yes, sir, I can, but the Director asked me to restrict any more access into the room." His voice wavered as he was all too familiar of the violent reputation of Slade Wilson.

"I understand, however, I was told to prepare the subject one final time before our next plan is set in motion." The guard looked at him with uncertainty. "Do you think I am lying?"

"Uh, no, sir. Please, go right ahead."

Slade smirked as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him. "Everything seems to be coming along just as we planned." He said aloud, but it appeared as though no one was there except a human-sized vessel full of green liquid.

At first there was nothing that could be seen, but as the bubbles in the liquid parted, the faint silhouette of a young man was revealed. He floated with wires connected to his body as nearby monitors beeped with his active lifeline. The floating boy was alive, but induced into a heavy sleep.

"You will soon be forced to do things you do not like," Slade continued, "and that is to be your destiny if you so choose. However," he paused, "there is _always_ another choice." He continued as he paced around the vessel. "Should you choose to find your own destiny, find your freedom, then you must overcome those who control you and fight alongside me. Together we will fight for your liberation, and the liberation of the world, but first you must overcome those who wish to control you for their own selfish reasons. Side with me and you will have your freedom. Side with me and you shall have your own destiny." Slade promised as he peered into the glass vessel.

At first nothing seemed to be happening. There was no movement whatsoever, but that changed. The floating boy's fingers began to twitch along with his toes. Suddenly, his eyes shot open as a pair of yellow irises glared back at Slade.


End file.
